The most common mistake on charcoal is rushing it. Light your coals and walk away — the fire tells you when it's ready, and reading it right is the difference between a clean sear and a sooty one.
Why this matters
Coals that haven't fully caught burn unevenly and leave a raw, smoky taste on your food. You want them glowing red through the middle with edges turning ashy white. That white ash is the signal: the heat is steady and ready to cook over.
What you'll need
- Lump charcoal or briquettes
- A chimney starter or Fatwood to light
- Your Thaan Grill
The steps
- Light your charcoal and walk away. Don't rush it.
- Watch for the coals to glow red through the middle and the edges to turn ashy white. The whiteness means they're ready.
- Spread the hot coals across one side of the grill. Leave the other side bare or with just a few coals.
- Now you have two heat zones — one side for searing, the other for finishing gently and pulling food off direct flame.
Common mistakes
- Cooking too early, before the edges go white — the fire isn't steady yet.
- Spreading coals edge to edge, leaving nowhere to retreat from the heat.
- Piling food over a single flat bed when a two-zone setup would give you more control.
When the edges go white, you're ready to cook.